On June 10, global superstars BTS’s Proof album will be released, with three CDs that contain five new tracks, along with old fan-favorite songs and never-before-heard demos. According to their label, Big Hit, Proof is dropping right as BTS “begin[s] a new chapter as an artist that has been active for nine years.” Since the album announcement dropped, fans have been getting hyped online for the 48-track anthology, both for the prospect of new BTS music and because of the impact of re-releasing old songs from their discography.
Though their fanbase, called ARMY, is well aware of BTS’s decade-long journey from a small music label to one of the biggest bands in the world, some outsiders may be surprised that BTS would be established enough in their career to put out an anthology at this point. NYLON pegs the beginning of “The BTS Effect” to 2016, only six years ago, and many listeners may not have tuned in until even 2020 or 2021, when the group started gaining more mainstream attention for their hits “Dynamite” and “Butter.” But this is why Proof is such an important release, and a power move in its own right: BTS are setting the record straight about their mission as artists, the hard work they’ve put in to get where they are, and the versatility of their musical, lyrical, and performing talents.
Like most of the K-pop industry, BTS has been the target of xenophobia by everyone from individual radio DJs to the Western media at large, though to a larger degree than any other group given their household recognition. K-pop’s rise in popularity in Western countries has often been referred to as an “invasion” or “conquering,” words that trigger images of unwelcome strangers or harmful political strategies. The effects of this framing are an attempt to shut BTS and other Korean groups out from mainstream American success, and — especially in light of the rise in anti-Asian hate in recent years — targeted discrimination, including jokes comparing BTS to COVID-19. (Never one to shy away from tackling social issues head-on, BTS made a visit to the White House for the end of AAPI Heritage Month to speak to President Biden about anti-Asian discrimination.)
BTS don’t need the Grammys, the radio, or the other areas of the American music industry that have turned their nose up at the group.
Despite their rapidly growing fandom online, where they’ve broken such a long list of Guinness World Records that Billboard had to publish an article about it, BTS were getting very little American radio play with their singles through 2019, impeding them from reaching more casual listeners. BTS don’t need American radio on their side for their songs to still have record-breaking success, however. In 2020, their title track “On” from Map of the Soul: 7 (sung in Korean) charted at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest-ever position for a Korean group, even with minimal radio play.
But BTS seems to be more than aware of the music industry’s gatekeeping. Their next single was the all-English “Dynamite,” which dropped later that year ahead of their album BE. The music video racked up a whopping 101.1 million views in just 24 hours, making YouTube history. “Dynamite,” to be sure, is a catchy, disco-inspired tune that stands on its own as a good song. But it’s no coincidence that their first song sung only in English was also their first American Top 40 radio hit — and their first Grammy nomination, for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2021. Did mainstream America decide K-pop is okay as long as you take out the K?
In 2021, the group followed up “Dynamite” with “Butter” and “Permission to Dance,” both all-English singles that also dominated the Billboard Hot 100 and saw them gain even more mainstream success in America. With “Butter,” they earned their second Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance — and second loss, which many have dubbed a wrongful snub, given the Recording Academy’s repeated advertising of BTS’s performance and appearance at the show to increase ratings. In fact, many onlookers, from Elle to Forbes, agree that BTS don’t need the Grammys; the Grammys need BTS. The same can be said for the radio, or the other areas of the American music industry that have turned their nose up at the group.
BTS are showing with this anthology that they’ve been at the top of their game the whole time.
This is where Proof comes in at such an important moment: BTS are showing with this anthology that they’ve been at the top of their game the whole time, whether they’re singing in Korean or not. It’s everyone else who hasn’t been paying attention, writing them off as “just another boyband” or “that K-pop group.” Their label Big Hit’s official statement refers to the group “ceaselessly sprinting forward since 2013.” Proof offers a well-deserved chance to rest on their laurels: “The BTS anthology album that embodies the history of BTS will be released as they begin a new chapter as an artist that has been active for nine years to look back on their past endeavors,” the statement continues.
It would be disingenuous, though, to mark this album release as a Western media-centric decision: Member Jin has referred to BTS’s fanbase ARMY as his and the group’s “living proof” in a video promoting the upcoming album release. BTS’s ninth anniversary is coming up on June 13, and these songs are less for the charts and more for the fans, who BTS have always centered in their work.
The album tracklist includes songs that hold a lot of history, both for BTS and ARMY. 2015’s “I Need U” was BTS’s first majorly successful hit and was deemed a defining song of the 2010s by Billboard (yes, song, not just K-pop song). “DNA” was BTS’s first song performed on U.S. television, at the 2017 American Music Awards, arguably the starting point of K-pop’s mass global takeover. Other songs are more sentimental for fans: “Cypher Pt. 3: KILLER” harkens back to their hip-hop roots on 2014’s Dark & Wild, while “Friends” is a more recent and sweet tribute to members Jimin and V’s close friendship. (And yes, “Dynamite” and “Butter” are both on there.)
Plus, with tour speculation rising to a fever pitch among ARMY online now that Proof’s release is imminent and member J-Hope will be headlining Lollapalooza in July, the album also offers a chance for the group to perform songs that fans didn’t get to hear live during the pandemic. Neither Map of the Soul: 7 nor BE got their own tours due to lockdown restrictions (the planned Map of the Soul tour was postponed and finally canceled in 2021). By releasing Proof, fans could have the opportunity to finally hear favorites like “On” and “00:00 (Zero O’Clock)” live for the first time.
So don’t judge fans for getting excited about songs they’ve already heard before. The old tracks symbolize something new for BTS, who had gone six years into their career before taking a single break: a chance to take it slow and bask in the enormity of their accomplishments, even when much of the industry was against them. BTS don’t have to care if American radio or critics are listening this time around. The punchline of the joke is that they know they will be anyway.